Part of the process of obtaining re-accreditation involves submission of an extensive report describing how the University addresses a series of specific SACS criteria. These criteria, which are detailed in the SACS publication Principles of Accreditation, are organized as follows:
Core Requirements are basic qualifications that an institution must meet to be accredited by the SACS Commission on Colleges. These requirements attempt to ensure that we have a mission statement, chief academic officer and governing board, programs of appropriate length, a general education component within our undergraduate degree programs, various support services, and a sound financial base.
Comprehensive Standards are requirements that address three major aspects of the University: (1) institutional mission, governance, and effectiveness; (2) programs; and (3) resources. As described in the Principles of Accreditation, “The Comprehensive Standards represent good practices in higher education and establish a level of accomplishment expected of all member institutions.” Requirements listed under the Comprehensive Standards concern policies and procedures related to roles of the governing board and University administrators, appointment and evaluation of faculty and staff, processes for establishing outcomes and assessing effectiveness, standards related to academic programs, guidelines for faculty credentials, quality of student services, and financial control processes.
Federal Requirements consist of criteria established by the U.S. Secretary of Education for an institution to remain eligible for participation in programs authorized under Title IV of the 1998 Higher Education Amendments and related federal programs.
An off-site team made up of peer reviewers and SACS staff is appointed by SACS to review the institution’s Compliance reports and documentation. For each of the requirements and standards, the off-site team makes a judgment concerning compliance or non-compliance. Areas of non-compliance may be revisited during the on-site review the following spring.